First News Alexa Skill

Nine care workers from Sheffield have chosen to move into Bridgedale House full-time to look after dementia patients. The carers want to be in one place to reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and giving it to patients or their own families. Care assistant Sarah-Jane Clark said: “We’re going to miss our families. But it’s important that we do it to take care of our residents.”

The cancellation of cross-country races  due to the coronavirus is great news for toads. A toad protection group in North Yorkshire say that hundreds of toads have been trampled in previous years. The races, hosted by Wharfedale Harriers, take place close to a pond where the toads mate.

Meanwhile, beyond the closed gates of ZSL London Zoo during the Coronavirus pandemic, life goes on for its team of zookeepers and the 18,000 animals they care for. Some of the keepers are living on site to help keep things ticking over. The charity is nearly 200 years old and is asking for donations to help them feed and look after their animals while the zoo is closed. Check out their website to find out how you can help.

Research suggests that trees like pines, evergreen oaks and the common yew are some of the best for reducing air pollution. This is because they have leaves all year round which are good for catching fine particles.

The latest results from the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch have revealed smaller birds such as long-tailed tits, wrens and coal tits were seen in greater numbers in gardens across the country than in 2019 thanks to the milder winter. Now in its 41^st year, the Big Garden Birdwatch is a chance for people of all ages to count the number of birds that visit their garden helping the RSPB build up a picture of how they are doing. This year, almost half a million people across the country took part counting nearly 8 million birds.

999 calls for stupid reasons could be blocking real emergencies from getting through during the Coronavirus Pandemic. West Mercia police said that since the lockdown, they have had calls because of cancelled hair appointments and because a dog walker hasn’t turned up.

The National Trust wants to kick off a new tradition: #BlossomWatch. They want people to enjoy trees in bloom and post pictures to social media. The idea is similar to Japanese hanami parties, where people gather to enjoy the cherry blossom as spring arrives.

Since last year, 100,000 more UK children are living in poverty, bringing the total to 4.2 million. Imran Hussain, from UK charity Action for Children, said: “Some families have already become so desperate that our frontline staff are feeding them from their own cupboards.” There is a worry that numbers will only increase during the COVID-19 crisis.

New figures show there are five times more chickens being kept in UK homes than hamsters. The number of households with chickens has increased by 200,000 since 2018. Jane Howorth MBE, founder of the British Hen Welfare Trust, said: “You can interact with chickens exactly as you interact with cats and dogs. They’re a lot of fun and will also pop out a delicious breakfast for you.”

In other bird news, the world’s highest-flying bird, the Ruppell’s griffon vulture, is making a comeback. The rare species of vulture was thought to have been wiped out in parts of Turkey but conservation efforts have seen them return. Last year, four were spotted and this year, seven birds were seen. The Ruppell’s griffon flies up to 11,300m high – around the height of passenger aeroplanes.

It’s First News Day and, in this week’s issue, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jenny Harries talks exclusively to children about the coronavirus illness Covid-19. She says “Don’t be scared, be sensible!” Britain is in lockdown to stop the virus spreading with the strong message from the government to stay at home. But for how long is this likely to go on? Dr Jenny says she thinks it will be five or six months. Meanwhile, experts worldwide are working on creating a vaccine for this new virus which could take a year. But Dr Jenny thinks we could all be having the jab to protect us by next winter if Covid-19 behaves like the regular flu and comes back every season. In the meantime, keep washing your hands!

With Britain in lockdown and schools closed, kids and adults across the country are tuning in for the Bodycoach Joe Wicks’ live PE lessons on You Tube. Around a million of us are taking part in his live 30-minute workout at 9am every morning. Other celebrities are helping kids on YouTube too. Children’s laureate Cressida Cowell is reading a chapter a day from her How To Train Your Dragon books. And you can get cooking with Jamie Oliver’s son Buddy on his channel.

In other news, Earth Hour 2020 takes place tomorrow – Saturday the 28th of March – at 8:30pm in each country worldwide. Earth Hour, organised by WWF, is the world’s biggest grassroots movement – the switch-off moment where millions come together for nature, people and the planet. Following the latest Government advice, WWF is not organising public events in Britain for Earth Hour. Instead, they’re encouraging people to find ways to take part online at home. The simplest way to join in the Earth Hour is by switching off your lights at home, along with Buckingham Palace! For other ideas of things to do at home, go to wwf.org.uk.

In positive environmental news, the results for the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme are out, and it’s good news! Butterfly numbers are at their highest levels in more than 20 years with an increase in more than half of UK species in 2019 compared with 2018. Researchers think the weather had a big part to play in this. Last year’s warm and wet summer helped butterflies in their younger stages and when they emerged from their cocoons.

Prince Harry and Meghan have moved to Hollywood, according to reports. They left their rented home in Canada last week and took a flight to the US where they are in lockdown due to coronavirus. The news comes hours after it was revealed that Meghan will narrate a Disney documentary in her first job since the couple stood down from royal duties.